Oklahoma Gave McGee That Feeling

Alex King

06/23/2011

Sooners Illustrated brings you an interview with the newest addition to the 2012 recruiting class, John Michael McGee. McGee decided yesterday was the right day to become a Sooner and he talks more about that inside.

Everyone you talked to that had been in contact with John Michael McGee throughout his recruiting process would reiterate the same thing when asked where they thought he would end up.

"He will be a Sooner."

It wasn't a matter of if with McGee but a matter of when. It got to the point where even McGee didn't know why he wasn't committed to the Sooners yet. And when he decided that it was the right time and he let Coach Heupel know Wednesday night, Coach Heupel let him know that he was thinking the same thing.

When it came down to it with McGee, taking his time was key in the process.

"I have been wanting to commit to Oklahoma for so long," McGee said. "I didn't know what was making me wait so long. I talked to Coach Heupel about it and he was under the same curiosity of why it was taking so long. Like I said, time will tell and I knew that yesterday was the right day so I went ahead and committed."

After the Sooners landed Ty Darlington last Friday night, adding McGee to the equation just made the coaching staff ecstatic. Before it all went down offensive coordinator, Coach Heupel hit up head man Coach Stoops and let him know of the situation.

"He was ecstatic about it," McGee stated about Coach Heupel. "He said I will always be a part of the recruiting class for 2012 and he just welcomed me to the new family. He said he told Coach Stoops that there was a possibility that it might be going down tonight and he was ecstatic about it. And he told the rest of the coaching staff and everyone was pretty much excited."

During the summer before his junior year McGee got the chance to come up for a camp in Norman. Coach Stoops later informed him that the Sooners wanted to offer him a scholarship. The feeling that McGee had when he heard the news he could only compare to one other specific feeling.

"Back in my sophomore year going to the camp I pretty much liked everything about. There were no negative things about it. Once I got that offer from Coach Stoops it kind of gave me the lean because the first offer is kind of like your first girlfriend. When I looked around at other schools I wasn't getting the same feeling that I was from Oklahoma. So I kind of knew in my mind that it was where I wanted to be," McGee explained.

McGee was sold on the Sooners' news of the offer but still wanted the approval from a few other important people in his life.

"My parents checked out the campus and they absolutely loved it. They didn't have a negative thing to say about it so it was pretty much a 'go ahead' for me."

Now with his own commitment out of the way McGee plans to turn his attention to recruiting other prospects to join him in Norman as well.

"Coach Heupel, he spoke to me about that so I will see what I can (do)," McGee said.

McGee, who is listed as a center and offensive guard on Scout.com out of Texarkana HS says the Sooners are recruiting him to play the guard position. McGee has grown a little bit and stated he currently stands at 6-foot-4 and 265-pounds.

The Sooners have put together a stellar class so far and still have a few more spots left for the 2012 class.